The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-27
IN A KOoRDisH VILLAGE.
One of Thomas Stevens Many I'm
pleasant Experiences

"Tbe shades of evening are beginning
to settle down over the wild, mountain
Gus country round about. It is growing
Internationally chilly for this early in
the evening and the prospects look
f .vorable for supEerloss and most dis
8. rec b e night, when l d. cry village
neTched In al opening among lie
mountains mile or rhereabauts off to
the right writes Thomas Stevens IN
Ouiipg. Repairing thither, l find Ii
to he Koordi,h vii age, where the
novels are more excavations than bulld-
lpgs: buffalots, horses, goats, chickens
and human beings all find 81, tier under
the same low roof; their respective
quarters are no thing but mere rai.Ing
Of rough poles, and as the question of
Ventilation is never even thought of The
effect upon ones OifactOTy nerves upon
enta ring is anything but reassuTiug.
The filth and rags upon these peopl,
are someIhiDg abUu ina BILE; Oh account,
of the chIlllness of the evening they
these have eviue ntly hau rags patch, Il
on top OF other rags for years past uuul
they have gradually developed into
thick-qulted garments. in the lnnum =
able seams of winch the most dIsg ustne
chronological specimens, bred ana ell
gendered by their Wretched mode G.
existence, i've and perpe uaCe Their
kind. However, repulsive IS The Uul-
look most assurediy Is, | have no alter
native but to cast my lot among them
till morning.
II am conducted into the Sheikh's
apartment, a small room partitiUned off
with pole from stable full of horses
and buffaloes, and where darkness is
made visible by the sIckly glimmer Ct
q grease lamp. The Sheikh, a thin sal
iow-faced man of about forty years. is
reclining on mattress in one corner
smoking cigarettes, a dozen ill-condi-
toned ragamuffins are squatting about
in various attitudes, whilst the rag-tag
and bob tail of the population crowd
into the buffalo stable and survey me
and the bicycle from outside The parti-
ton pole.
"a circular wooden tray containing
an abundance of bread, bowl of uaort,
and small quantity of peculiar stringy
cheese that resent les chunks OF dried
Goldfish, warped and twisted ia the dry
ing, is brought in and placed in the mid
die of the floor. Everybody in the room
at once gathers around 1t and,begin eat
ing with as little formalIty as SO many
W id animals; the Sheikh silently mo-
tions for me to do the same. The yaort
bowl contains one solitary wooden spoon
with which they take turns at eating
mouthfuls. One, is compelled to draw
the line somewhere, even und the
most uncomprOmising circumstances,
aud | naturally draw it against eating
yGOrt with this same wooden spoon;
making small scoops with pieces of
bread, dip up yGOrt and eat scoop and
all together. These particular Koords
seem absolutely ignorant of anything
In the shape OF mannerlineSs, or of con-
sideratiOn for each other. at the table.
When the ydOrt has been dipped into
twice or thrice all round, the Sheikh
cooly contscates the bowl, eats part of
what is left, pours water into the re-
malnder, stirS il up with his hand, and
deliberately drinks 1t all up; one or two
others seize all the cheeze, utterly
of the fact that nothing b t
bread remains for myself and their COM
panions, who, by the by, seem TO regard
It as perfectly natural proceeding.
After supper they return to their
Squsttlng attitudes around the room,
and TO resumption of theIr never Ceas-
ing occupation Of scra tching themselves.
The eminent economist who lameuted
the wasted energy represented in the
Wsgging of all the dogs tails in the
world, ought TO have Travelled through
Asia on bicycle and have been com
PEELED to hOb-nOb with the villagers; he
would undoubtedly have wept with sOr-
row at beholding the amount OF |
TINS same waste energy, represented by !
the aboye-meh TONED occupation of the |
people. The most loathsome member |
Of This interesting company is a wretched
Old hypocTite who rolls his eyes about |
and heaves deep-drawn sigh of Allah |
Every few minutes and then looks fur |
lively al myself and the Sheikh TO OBJ |
serve Its effects; his sole garments is a |
round-about mantle that reaches to his |
knees. and which seems to have been |
out OF the tattered rem |
1antS OF other tattered remnants tackled !
;arelesSly together without regard to |
u cleanliness; his thin, scrawny legs /
are bare, his long black hair is matted
ana unkempt. his beard is stubby and
lnloyely to look upon, bis small black
ayes twinkle in the semi-darkness like
erret,s eyes, whilst soap and water have
% all appearance been altogether
rom the category Of his per
onal requirements.
"Prooablyit is nothing but the lively
workings OF my own Imagination, but
MS wretch appears to me to entertain
decided preference for my society,
insinuating himself as near
ne as possible. Lecessitating constant
VatchfCiness on my part to avoid actual
contact with him"